I don't know if anyone listened to the Jerry Waters show this morning, but he was talking about why he felt Kanawha Boulevard needed four lanes of traffic to make access to the city easier. He referenced how St. Albans improved its access when Route 60 was made into four lanes that could be "zipped through".

I think the difference is that Charleston has alternative routes (i.e.: the Interstate system, other major roads, etc.) to allow fast traffic to "zip through" the city, whereas St. Albans is somewhat removed from the nearest Interstate (which is a few miles from downtown).